Why One’s Torah and Prayer Do Not Work

THE DAILY CHIZZUK OF OUR REBBE RAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A – “WITHOUT THE TZADDIK, THE PRAYER IS SORCERY”

Thursday, 6 Iyar 5783 – “The Holocaust happened because they didn’t know who was the true Tzaddik”

These are his holy words:

A person needs to be all day in Atik (the Ancient of Days) – “And now I invite Atik Yomin, the time when they [the husks] fade away” [from the song “Bnei Hechalah” of the Third Shabbat Meal] – through Atik Yomin all the husks are eliminated.  If you want to elevate the husks [to purify the good from the bad], this is only through Atik Yomin – this is the Tzaddik.  Therefore, a person needs to be bound to the Tzaddik.

WITHOUT THE TZADDIK, EVERYTHING THAT HE PRAYS IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING, BECAUSE THE GEMARA [SOTAH 20] SAYS THAT WITHOUT THE TZADDIK, ONE IS CALLED A SORCERER – EVERYTHING IS SORCERY.

Like the sorcerer doesn’t know what he says.  He whispers all types of incantations; he has some names that he received by tradition.

The Gemara in Sotah 20 says that without the Tzaddik, one is called a sorcerer.  Even if he learns all day and night, he is called a sorcerer, because a person only needs to reveal who is the true Tzaddik.

If he learns without the Tzaddik, prays without the Tzaddik, then he is just a sorcerer – nothing ascends on high.

THEREFORE, THERE WAS SUCH A SHOAH (HOLOCAUST).  THIS WAS ALL WITHOUT THEM KNOWING WHO IS THE TZADDIK.  IF THERE HAD BEEN TWO TZADDIKIM WHO WOULD HAVE TRAVELLED TO UMAN, THEY WOULD HAVE CANCELLED THE SHOAH.

There was Rabbi Avraham Elimelech [the Admor of Karlin] who screamed such cries [he knew with Divine inspiration about the coming Shoah, so he screamed in prayer at the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai when he came to Israel].

Rabbi Avraham Elimelech came [from Karlin] after Tisha B’Av and returned on Rosh Chodesh Elul.  He knew that there would be a Shoah.  He gave away everything – the Tallit, money, the silver walking stick, the Streimel – he gave away everything.   I asked Yisrael Grossman, the father of Yitzchak David.  He said: Yes, we were 16-year-old children, we boarded the ship; he said I’m not leaving anything to the Germans.  It’s forbidden to leave anything to the Germans.  One needs to know to give away everything.

Then he gave away the Tallit, the kaftan, the jubba; he gave away everything to all the children.

The entire matter of a person screaming and cancelling all the decrees – so if he learns without the Tzaddik, he is called a sorcerer.  He is called a magician.

WHAT IS AN AM HAARETZ [A PERSON IGNORANT OF TORAH]?  THAT HE LEARNS THE WHOLE TORAH WITHOUT THE TZADDIK.  THIS IS A BOOR!

Therefore, Nadav and Avihu, who were greater than Moshe and Aharon – but they were without the Tzaddik, so they were burned – “After the death of the two sons of Aharon” (Vayikra 16:1).

We are now [during parashat Achrei-Mot/Kedoshim] dealing only with Nadav and Avihu.  In the middle [of the parashah] we have impure animals, pure animals, but all these parashas are only dealing with Nadav and Avihu, who knew the whole Torah by heart, from A to Z, but they didn’t believe that Moshe was the true Tzadddik – they didn’t believe this, so they were burned.

If a person doesn’t know who is the Tzaddik, then all his Torah isn’t worth anything.  This is an Am HaAretz, this is a boor, a complete gentile, just a gentile.  Without the Tzaddik, he is a gentile.